It’s official: Pumper is sporting her new swanky personal plates; 2HIPPIES!! And how HOT she looks, and all set to go on new adventures.

We are knee deep in packing boxes and junk, and things we are trying to find homes for. Looking for those happy to adopt misplaced home items? Please step forward!! The weekend yard sale was a huge success. $1,500 later and barely an item left in the yard!

Yard Sales always bring out the most interesting types! Then there was Steve with his negotiating and stellar selling and ‘mark-up’ skills. He sure has made himself a tidy profit on most of those auction deals that have been scooped up in the last few years!! He missed his calling!! But it is simply mind boggling what junk you can sell!!

So what to keep? … No clue!! We found willing friends to adopt some of the hard to part with treasures. Who knows one day we might just settle down!!! But one thing’s for sure, we are keeping each other, having just wrapped our 28th wedding anniversary. Roll on another 28 of the same, please and thank you!!!

To back track just a little: After much agonizing we sold the house! It’s unbelievable how many times we had the conversation; Sell or Not Sell. But the decision was made, and after 3 months of getting and keeping the place very ‘Spa Like’… Phew: we have a buyer… they plan to have tenants for 2 years before retiring here. Sound familiar? Good Luck!!! But hey the good news … this is no longer our problem!! We are asked often where we will be living and we point to Pumper… The look of surprise and sometimes horror is a treat every time!! Those crazy Robbins’ at it again!!!

The lawn mower has been sold along with the loppers and trimmers. No more responsibility for us!! We will head off into the sunset leaving the mountain of fall leaves to grow deeper, and smile deeply at the thought of rolling waves and blue skies a near! Well3,000 milesbut that is just a hop skip and a jump in our thinking!!

Wow, we have been back in town and Province since… was it June? (Quick passport check.). So where did the summer go? All we seem to do is keep talking about what we did not get around to doing and who we did not visit. Crazy really!!

To do list: Give Pumper a wash and wax so she is looking her best (as always). She is starting to complain bitterly about the chilly mornings. Never seemed to have that problem down south!! Steve has been tinkering and giving her lots of tender loving care. We even have a heater on the way to keep tootsies warm as we head south… and pray not to run into snow en route!!

Not too many more evenings chilling on a comfy sofa watching the ‘Boob Tube’ with the ‘X-Factor’ or ‘Dancing With The Stars’. Darn it… The things you have to give up!! Talking about giving things up: The family and friends that we wish we could scoop up and take on the road!! Never get enough of you all!!!

Just checking, the last blog was posted July 27th!! … So here we are October 12th : Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend. No Turkey for us as our kids both abandoned us.. HaHahaaa (inside joke) It is soo great to say that, as we are / have always been accused of doing the abandoning!! So the sad souls that we are, we managed a stroll along the shores of Lake Ontario at Presquile Provincial Park. One of our favourite things to do in these parts, busy scoping out VW Camper busses in the campsites!!

Did I mention I have shingles! Steve assures me I will feel much better on a beach in México and I agree with him. Enough of this already!!! Well the specialist has some new fancy chancy ‘code name’ for my auto-immune illness. More ugly news but hey it inspires us to live life to the fullest, and we drain the blood right out of it!! Or was that “The Living Day Lights”?

Well, we are sort of… homeless. Short of throwing out a tenant from one of our condo’s In Ottawa… Pumper really is it… off we rock and roll to the call of the open road and right now who knows what or when … Really! ‘Plan’ is a 4 letter word!!

Mexico sounds great but there is the minor detail of the possibility of going to both Calgary and /or Vancouver to work. The complication of what to pack or wear… Snow suit or beachwear?? Steve did dust off the suits this summer and dashed out to Vancouver to work for a few weeks… Shocking as that was! One of his clients just happens to have another couple of projects in the works out west. With any luck we will be in Mexico before anything is confirmed. No problem commuting to the wet and white clines of Western Canada when you know you are returning to a Cerveza, hammock, and a cabana on a Mexican beach.

It has been really wonderful to spend time with Joshua and Simone this summer and to see them both so happy with life and accomplished in their careers. We couldn’t be more proud of them both. They don’t even seem to mind that we are off gallivanting around the world spending their inheritance as members of the ‘SKI’ Club (Spending the Kids Inheritance Club). It was great to meet their ‘significant others’ Danielle and Tyler … they both get our thumbs up with flying colors!! (Perhaps more than can be said for their potential Hippie Parents-in-Law!!!) You know you have reached a tipping point in your lives when your kids are not home for Thanksgiving as they are spending it with their partners’ family. That’s ok… you know where to find us kids. Oh, no … maybe they don’t!!!

Congrads on going mobile again. I sure am jealous but I am planning some SA adventure this winter. Reading “In Patagonia” by Bruce Chatwin and realizing how much i missed on my first sortie. And Rapa Nui has moved several notches on my bucket list after reading “The Statues That Walked”. Great detective work by the authors. Keep postin’!!

Envy envy…selling the lawnmower, doesn’t that say it all!
Hippy Steve, I’ll write about a fuel pump consideration.
Snow suit or beachwear, yeah, that’s a hard choice alright.
Wendi, wishing you a speedy recovery. I’ve heard shingles is No Fun.
Well, if in Ottawa (area), you have a place to stay. Bon voyage!

Oh how jealous we are of you, have fun and glad to hear you are mending well, missing Costa Rica so much but are keeping in touch with them….looking forward to more blogging from you…Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You 2 have a great life and enjoy it that is GREAT. Just wanted to remind you that our VW Show is the 22 Oct 2011, we sure wish you could make it. It is always good to hear from you all. Keep up the good work.

I really do not know what to think of you two!!! I had to drive for a living. I ran five thousand in five days.OH what terrible days.. Dad drove for Road Way until I beat him out of that truck.Happy Trails. Please be careful in Mexico,,,

I photographed your van at Point Pelee yesterday………..i got such a cool bunch of comments and love about the photo…………….someone even found a link to your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW, awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! Livin’ the dream just like me, a nature photographer, who gave up city life after twenty years at a job that “didnt stimulate”…………moved to Northern Ontario……….i now wander in the trees, loving life, loving nature, and paddling my kayak with loons………..LIFE IS GOOD………..ramble on, happy birders, and hope to see the van again someday!!!!!!!